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Rep. Bonamici Issues Statement on CHIP Bill

Targeted News Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program while making severe cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund:

"Reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program is a top priority for me and for many of my colleagues in Congress.

Unless we can come together to solve this, Oregon will soon run out of funding and be needlessly forced to make crushing decisions about whether the state can continue to keep all children covered.

"I'm disappointed that this hasn't been a more bipartisan process in the House of Representatives. Rather than work toward a compromise that has a chance of becoming law, the Majority in the House has instead pushed this through by cutting one important public health program to fund another.

"Using the Prevention and Public Health Fund to pay for CHIP will harm the overall health of our communities. This bill would result in a cut of about $25 million for important Oregon public health initiatives over the next five years. That is unacceptable.

"I remain hopeful that the Majority will come back to the negotiating table so that we can work together to improve the health of not only our children, but every Oregonian."